Nimco

Nimco - Spirits with a Croatian Heart

Nimco is a Croatian producer and distributor of spirits. The company was founded in 1994 by Nikola Serdas, after he had gained eleven years of experience in the German market. During this time, he had already launched NIM GmbH in Germany, which, much like Nimco, marketed a portfolio of spirits. In 1984, he introduced Julischka, a Croatian liqueur specialty made from the plum brandy Sliwowitz and the pear liqueur Kruškovac, to the German market, where it soon appeared in major chains such as Metro, Edeka, and Rewe. Further partnerships with traditional producers such as Istravino and Bols followed. In the 1990s, various divisions of the company were founded, including the Croatian branch, which today forms the core of the group. The original German company has since been taken over by the Swiss company Levitan.

A look into the Nimco catalog

The portfolio of Nimco is diverse, though the focus is on typically Croatian spirits, complemented by the odd new creation. Today you can also find some old Croatian brands in the assortment that would likely have disappeared in the post-Soviet era.

Classic Croatian drinks in the portfolio include, for example:

• Julischka
• Istra Kruškovac
• Istra Bitter
• Pelin Kräuter
• Pepito – a sweet liqueur first launched on the market in 1952

This is joined by a wide selection of fruit liqueurs. For example, cherries and blueberries are used as the base for the liqueurs of the Moretto sub-brand, but mistletoe and honey are also used to produce drinks such as Biska and Medica. For those who prefer a stronger fruit flavor, an eau de vie with the sonorous name Purist is produced.

Despite these typically Croatian and modern spirits that follow current trends, Nimco has not closed itself off from the international spirits market. Classics such as Cobalt Vodka and Five Corners Gin are also produced, and two brandies are made under the names Brioni and Marco Polo. For these, Nimco has a storage cellar with casks in which the spirits have been able to mature for 30 years. The Brioni brandies have already been honored at the IWSC (International Wine and Spirits Competition), most recently in 2021.

How new products are created at Nimco

Nimco constantly rises to new challenges and therefore frequently expands its range with new creations. Nimco describes this process as follows:

"First we have the idea for a new product. Then we start drawing on paper, and from the drawing we create a collage. We make around 10–15 variants, but usually decide on the first variant. Of course. After that we create designs for the bottle, the closure, the label, the container... We make many different base recipes for a spirit until we agree on the best one. Then we create 15–20 color nuances of this best spirit. With a heavy heart we choose one, but we actually like at least three. We spend the next 20 days writing information material about the product itself. This part is a special challenge for us because we have to summarize in 5 sentences everything we know and feel about the product. The entire process of developing a new product takes between 6 and 18 months. Can you imagine how we feel when we see the product on the shelves after so many days of obsessive work?"

The first one from 1994 is still in the range today in the form of Dalmatino Limoncello, with its distinctive black-and-white bottle. The liqueur Blacky, made from dark fruits and vodka, is also still available today, although it first hit the market back in 1999.